I hear it often, “I don’t know how you find the time to do everything you do.” Friends, family, acquaintances are puzzled at how I get so many things done in a day. I’ll be honest with you–my to do list is very long and it is never completed. Many days I feel like I didn’t get near enough done, and I’m always feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day.
I’m sure you’ve heard that saying that God gives us enough time in the day. We just have to know how to use it. It’s so true! These are 5 tips I use for managing my time wisely:
- But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33. This scripture reminds us that if we prioritize our time by putting our relationship with God first, He will make sure everything else we need falls into place in His time. Do whatever you have to do to start your day spending it with the Lord with as little distraction as possible. For moms, that can be difficult because children have their own schedules. No one wants to miss out on sleep, but according to God’s Word, if we seek God first He will make sure our bodies are rested.
- Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established. Proverbs 6:3. Be intentional about everything you do. Recognize that your life has purpose, and set out to live that purpose with intention and focus. Work as hard as you can instead of giving less than the best. When you do things half-heartedly and not fully, you leave room for the enemy to weasel his way in and disrupt your life and time.
- So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31. Make a list of all of the tasks you do each day. Take an hourly inventory of how you spend your time. How much of your day is spent performing tasks that glorify God. Recognize that what seems like menial tasks, kissing boo-boos, changing diapers, and cooking dinner, are so much more. When you perform tasks that serve and care for your family, you are serving God. You are caring for the family He has entrusted to you. Living in obedience and selflessness, you are putting God’s work first. Take time to unplug from things that distract and waste precious time as they do not glorify God. Television, electronic devices, shopping, exercise, influences outside of your home, all of these can be good things, but they aren’t always beneficial, especially in excess. These days I see way too many young women who are “playing house”. They want to social status of being married to the love of their life, driving a family car with the soccer mom bumper sticker, having perfect family, and a white picket fence, but they aren’t present. They spend more time away from their commitments than they do taking care of them. They have way too many distractions. There is nothing wrong with a little quiet time or a night out with the girls, even a regularly scheduled one. Taking a little time for ourselves makes us better moms, but it can’t be at the expense of the physical or spiritual well being of our families. We need to be the parent we want our children to be one day.
- Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them. Psalm 13:24. Discipline your children. Don’t take the lazy and easy way out. You’ll waste a lot of time fighting them every time they test you, and one day you will realize you need to put your foot down. By then the temper tantrums and meltdowns will probably have tripled in time and endurance. Think of how much time you will spend trying to discipline children who are set in their ways. Time with our children is precious, and I believe each of us would rather spend it cuddling them than disciplining them. It’s an unpleasant task, but discipline them early on so the rest of your days can be spent loving on them.
- The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty. Proverbs 21:5. Make plans. Don’t fly by the seat of your pants. Life is too short to let it blow haphazardly in the wind. If you start your day with a plan, you and your family will know what to expect from the day. There will be fewer meltdowns because their will be a secure routine. Children are happier when they know what to expect. Don’t throw them to the wolves of the unexpected. Give them some stability and predictability. Beware that it is easy to go overboard with a schedule and plan. Ultimately, we want The Lord to have command of our day. We don’t want to miss divine appointments He has scheduled for us in our outside of our home. Be flexible and follow The Lord wherever He takes you. Plan to follow Him and now the winds of the world.
